Wiseacre Relauches in Chicago
More than two years after it ceased distribution in Chicago owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, Wiseacre BrewingCo. is relaunching in the Windy City and environs this week. Lakeshore Beverage is the distributor.
Three of Wiseacre’s beers - Gotta Get Up to Get Down Coffee Milk Stout (made with Chicago’s Metropolis Coffee) and the Great American Beer Festival Bronze Medal-winning Tiny Bomb Pilsner, as well as a rotating seasonal beer lineup (which will soon feature Strizzle IPA) - will be available throughout Chicago, including nearly 30 Binny’s locations.
“Shortly after COVID hit in March 2020, we stopped shipping beer up to Chicago. There was so much uncertainty at the time, and so much disruption to our industry since, that we are just now able to relaunch with real purpose. Needless to stay, we had our hands full with our new facility as did our partner Lakeshore Beverage, so we hit PAUSE,” said Kellan Bartosch, co-founder of Wiseacre.
“This pause gave us the time to rethink Chicago sales strategy so that we could really come back with a bang. And, speaking of bangs…we’re sure that our Tiny Bomb, which is the best-selling Tennessee-made craft beer and currently the #5 Craft Pilsner in the United States, is going to explode on its reentry into the Chicago market!”
“Chicago is one of the best beer cities in the country,” added Davin Bartosch, Wiseacre brewmaster and co-founder. “Consumers, stores, bars, and restaurants all have a great understanding of beer. Part of that means the craft beer scene isn’t solely focused on hoppy styles and bigger beers. There is a great understanding of the challenge of making lagers and appreciation that comes from it.
"Memphis’ soft water - which has been called “the sweetest water in the country” - is very similar to the water of Plzen, Czech Republic, where the original Pilsners were brewed in the 1800s. Tiny Bomb marries that perfect Memphis water with German pilsner malt and local wildflower honey for a crisp, clean finish,” he added.
Wiseacre is sold in 17 states - Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas - and Washington, D.C.
In 2020 Wiseacre built a state-of-the-art production facility in Downtown Memphis that nearly quintupled its previous capacity. This paved the way for the brewery’s rapidly expanding distribution map, as well as the development of new beers and the creation of new packaging options, which include 12oz, 16oz, and 19.2oz cans coming in 6-packs, 4-packs, 12-packs, and single-serve.